


Totally Not a Meet-Cute

by argentumlupine



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossdressing, M/M, Not!Fic, Podfic Available
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-30
Updated: 2012-09-30
Packaged: 2017-11-15 09:12:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/525656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/argentumlupine/pseuds/argentumlupine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gerard has had a crush on Train Guy for a while, but just going up and talking to him would be weird. He needs a reason, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Totally Not a Meet-Cute

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lucifuge5](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucifuge5/gifts).



> It was going to be a straight-up fic, but the ending just didn't want to work, even after [akamine_chan](http://archiveofourown.org/users/akamine_chan/works) gave me like the PERFECT SET-UP. I just couldn't make it happen. So I rewrote it as a not!fic. :D
> 
> Thank you, [Ande](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ande/pseuds/Andeincascade), for looking it over for me!
> 
> NOTE: There is podfic of this story [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/527604). :D

Okay, so Gerard works in New York City (maybe he’s at Cartoon Network? Or possibly doing comics? CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE CAREER) and commutes in from Jersey every day. And he can’t help but do some people-watching on the train when he’s not engrossed in drawing or reading, and plays a “guess what that person does for a living” game with himself. There’s no way to see if he’s right without asking the person, of course, so he never really knows, but it’s fun. He makes up a logical career and a completely bogus career for the different people, and it keeps him entertained.

There’s this one guy on the train that he keeps coming back to, though, because (a) he has epic hair and (b) his jeans and button-down don’t give any career hints and (c) he gives up his seat to someone practically every day, which is really sweet and (d) he is hot. Gerard doesn’t let himself dwell too much on that last one, but every once in a while Train Guy ends up standing in the aisle near Gerard and he just can’t help but look.

But he doesn’t strike up conversation with the guy, because that would be too weird.

So basically Gerard is crushing on the guy from afar (or from close up, depending on the day) but never does anything about it because there’s never a good opportunity and also when he likes someone he gets all tongue-tied and shy because WHAT IF HE IS REJECTED THAT IS THE WORST THING EVER.

So he never says anything.

 

\--

 

One day at work he and some of his work buddies are talking about Things and somehow one of Gerard’s coworkers says something like “I’d never be caught dead in a skirt” and Gerard says something witty and scathing about gender stereotypes and not being an asshole and the guy says “Yeah, well, I dare you to come to work in a skirt” and Gerard says “Okay, then I will.” And then other people jump in and turn it into a bet where if Gerard comes in wearing a skirt then Asshole Dude has to do something else, IDK what, but it would be great and Gerard is all >:D because HE IS SO GOING TO WIN AND ASSHOLE DUDE IS GOING _DOWN_.

So that night he goes digging through his closet for the skirts he wore in art school, hoping one fits, and talks to Mikey on the phone about it all “haha! This is the easiest dare ever!” and sends Mikey outfit pics for approval.

The next day when Gerard heads for the train he regrets wearing the heels because OW he hasn’t worn them in forever OW and he’d forgotten how hard it was to BALANCE in them and oh God he hopes he gets a seat on the train because his feet are killing him and why didn’t he remember the thing where businesswomen commute in sneakers and change into heels later WHY DIDN’T HE THINK THIS THROUGH.

There aren’t any seats on the train, of course, because his luck sucks. So Gerard resigns himself to really sore feet and grabs a handhold and stands in the aisle. When someone taps his shoulder, he automatically shifts over so they can get by him, but the person taps his shoulder again, so he looks up. And it’s Train Guy, smiling at him. 

“You want my seat?” Train Guy asks. And Gerard nods and sits down quickly before he does or says something ridiculous and TOTALLY does not let himself stare when Train Guy grabs the handhold right in front of Gerard. TOTALLY DOES NOT STARE. 

It’s not Gerard’s fault that he holds his book at just the right height so Train Guy’s hand is visible over the top, right? Right.

 

\--

 

When Gerard gets to work, the absolute horror on Asshole Dude’s face makes him laugh himself sick. Everyone else high-fives him and wolf-whistles, so he poses and grins until their boss yells at them to get to work. And since the dare didn’t include spending the whole day in a skirt, Gerard changes into his normal clothes so he can walk around without killing his feet. 

So that afternoon he’s in his normal clothes on the train and he thinks he sees Train Guy watching him, but since Train Guy’s all the way at the far end of the car he can’t be sure and since Gerard doesn’t want to get caught staring, he buries his nose in his book for the trip home.

He calls Mikey as soon as he gets in his house. “And Train Guy gave up his seat to ME this morning and—”

Mikey interrupts him. “You need to ask the guy out already. It’s getting kind of sad.”

“But it would be weird to just go ask him out! There needs to be a reason or something.” 

Mikey sighs. “What would be WEIRD would be you engineering some kind of meet-cute like you’re in a romance movie. Just talk to him. Or don’t. But stop talking to ME about how great he is and try telling HIM.”

Tough love, Mikey-style. Gerard sighs. “Okay.”

 

\--

 

Gerard can’t work up the nerve to talk to Train Guy the next day, but on Thursday he decides he should just do this and stop being a wimp. He maneuvers over to Train Guy when they’re about five minutes from Gerard’s stop. 

“Hi,” he says. “I see you give up your seat pretty much every day and I think it’s really sweet.”

Train Guy gives him a confused smile. “Um, thanks?”

“And…” Gerard takes a deep breath. “You seem really cool and I’d like to get to know you. You want to get coffee sometime?”

Train Guy doesn’t say anything for a long moment. Gerard sighs and shifts away. “Never mind, forget I—”

“Sure,” Train Guy interrupts.

Gerard blinks. “Really?”

Train Guy shrugs. “Yeah. I like coffee. And it’ll give me a chance to ask about the skirt you wore on Tuesday.”

Gerard tries to say something, but only manages to make some random noises. Train Guy smiles. “We can talk about it over coffee.” He holds out a hand. “I’m Ray.”

“Gerard.” They shake hands.

“There’s a really good diner near my station,” Ray says. “If you want to come down to my town.”

“What, you mean today?”

“Why not?” Ray asks. Gerard can’t look away from Ray’s smile.

He smiles back. “Okay.”

 

\--

 

So they go out for coffee and talk for HOURS about EVERYTHING, starting with the skirt (“You look good in a skirt. Any particular reason for wearing it?” “For a dare. Let me tell you what this asshole said…”) and passing through music, comics, games, bad TV, and anything else that comes to mind. And it is AWESOME because Ray has Opinions about things and usually they match Gerard’s Opinions, and when they don’t the two of them argue and it is great because Gerard doesn’t often get a chance to debate for fun and at one point Ray grabs Gerard’s wrist while he’s making a point and then DOESN’T LET GO and Gerard is definitely not going to make him let go and basically it’s the best date ever.

The waitress has to chase them out at closing time and they walk back to the station and the whole way back Gerard keeps thinking about how much he doesn’t want to go home. When they get to the station, Ray pulls Gerard to a stop.

“Just to clarify, this is date, right?” Ray asks.

“Um, yeah?”

“Good, just checking,” Ray says, before he leans in and kisses Gerard. And Gerard kisses right back because he has been wanting to do that pretty much since Ray said yes to coffee that afternoon and they kiss and kiss and are completely oblivious to the world to the point that they don’t notice Gerard’s train has arrived until it’s leaving.

“Oh, shit,” Gerard says, staring after the train in dismay because it’s after 2 a.m and the next train isn’t for like two HOURS. 

And then Ray kisses him again. “Come on,” he says, “I’ll drive you.” 

They get in Ray’s car and drive to Gerard’s station and park next to Gerard’s car and sit there kissing for a long time until finally they pull apart. 

“I really have to go,” Gerard says. And he SO doesn’t want to, but he has to work tomorrow and he’s going to need so much coffee in the morning.

Ray leans his forehead against Gerard’s. “Yeah,” he says, and kisses Gerard one more time before he sits back and pulls out his phone. “Can I get your number?”

Gerard laughs and swaps phones with Ray to tap in his number, then takes his phone back and stares at it, grinning what is probably a stupid grin. “Okay,” he says, and gets out of the car. Then he leans back in. “See you tomorrow?”

“I’ll save you a seat,” Ray says.

Gerard laughs, shuts the car door, and waves as Ray drives off. 

Maybe he should put a change of clothes and a toothbrush in his bag for tomorrow.

You know, just in case. 

 

THE END

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[podfic] Totally Not A Meet-Cute](https://archiveofourown.org/works/527604) by [reena_jenkins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reena_jenkins/pseuds/reena_jenkins)




End file.
